Recent changes to €uro-Star indices are reflected in the latest genetic evaluation run, carried out last Wednesday 6 August.
The changes implemented are related primarily to the replacement index. ICBF explains the new replacement index is based on the performance of a cow per calving, compared with the previous index which was based on the performance of a breeding bull, including male calves (destined for slaughter), female calves (retained for breeding) and all of her subsequent progeny (both male and female).
The new index is also expressed on a per-calving basis, compared with being expressed over the lifetime of the animal.
For example, a cow with a replacement index of €100 under the new index is expected to leave €100 more profit per calving compared with the baseline value of zero.
The changes are shown in Table 1. ICBF says the net effect of these changes has been to increase the emphasis on key maternal traits, such as milk and fertility within the replacement index.
It also had the effect of substantially reducing the replacement index value of all animals (down some €60) as the index is now expressed on a per-calving basis as opposed to over the lifetime of the female replacement.
Other changes introduced include:
Removal of the terminal index from all females. The terminal index will now only be available on breeding males.Across-breed stars for commercial animals. While within and across breeds stars will still be available for purebred animals, there will be only one set of stars for all commercial (crossbred) animals. These will be based on an across-breed comparison. Removal of half stars. Half stars will be removed from all relevant indices, with animals possessing a half star increasing to the next full value. Circulation of reports
ICBF say €uro-Star reports which will include these new indices will be posted to all herds participating in the BDGP from next week.
They are also available to view online at www.icbf.com through the €uro-Star profile section.
Q&A
The Irish Farmers Journal put the most common reader queries received to the ICBF’s Andrew Cromie.
Q. I have checked my bull on the ICBF website and his maternal figures have fallen from a four-star to a three-star index. Does this mean my heifers will also drop in their values?
A. Yes. Given that half of the replacement index for an un-calved heifer is from the sire and the other half from the dam, then one would expect the stars on the progeny of this bull to drop by about half a star.
Q. I have been focusing on using high-reliability bulls and have used APZ quite a bit. His figures have fallen through the floor this year and I have most of my replacement heifers from him. What happens to their values as they were good up until now? Will this affect me meeting the suckler scheme (BDGP)?
A. Indeed, it is only now that his first daughters are completing their first parity, with his latest proof indicating 75% for replacement index reliability. Looking at the performance of these heifers indicates that while they are excellent for age at first calving, they are only average for milk and are extremely poor for maternal calving, cow survival and calving interval.
Indeed, the bull is in the bottom 1% of all AI sires for both maternal calving difficulty and cow survival, with only 75% of his daughters surviving to their second, compared with 91% for his herd mates. In terms of the daughters of this bull, the stars on these animals will fall as well, as they have half of their genes from APZ. By how much they fall will depend on the index of the dams and the performance of the animals themselves.
Q. I have weanlings ready to sell in the next few weeks. Can I sell them, or do I need to wait to see if they need to be tagged? Will my payment be stopped if I do or don’t have information recorded. Can I record this online?
A. There is no need to delay sales. In terms of tagging, there will still be more than enough other animals in the herd to cover off the BDGP genotyping requirement. In terms of relevant information, sire and calving survey data will already have been recorded on these animals. The only other data that the farmer needs to record then is calf docility and calf quality.
Q. Are these the final changes that will be made to the indices? It’s very hard to plan when the heifers I thought I was breeding are now no use for the scheme?
A. This is the last significant change in terms of the construction of the index. However, there will always be changes as more data comes into the equation for individual animals. That said, the new BDGP scheme does allow farmers to plan ahead, as heifers entering the scheme as four or five stars will retain that status, provided that they are genotyped during the course of the scheme.
Q. How many bulls have dropped in value with the change and what is the average drop in star ratings?
A. All bulls have dropped about €60, but this is simply due to a redefinition of how we present the index, which is now expressed in terms of progeny performance/lactation.
Recent changes to €uro-Star indices are reflected in the latest genetic evaluation run, carried out last Wednesday 6 August.
The changes implemented are related primarily to the replacement index. ICBF explains the new replacement index is based on the performance of a cow per calving, compared with the previous index which was based on the performance of a breeding bull, including male calves (destined for slaughter), female calves (retained for breeding) and all of her subsequent progeny (both male and female).
The new index is also expressed on a per-calving basis, compared with being expressed over the lifetime of the animal.
For example, a cow with a replacement index of €100 under the new index is expected to leave €100 more profit per calving compared with the baseline value of zero.
The changes are shown in Table 1. ICBF says the net effect of these changes has been to increase the emphasis on key maternal traits, such as milk and fertility within the replacement index.
It also had the effect of substantially reducing the replacement index value of all animals (down some €60) as the index is now expressed on a per-calving basis as opposed to over the lifetime of the female replacement.
Other changes introduced include:
Removal of the terminal index from all females. The terminal index will now only be available on breeding males.Across-breed stars for commercial animals. While within and across breeds stars will still be available for purebred animals, there will be only one set of stars for all commercial (crossbred) animals. These will be based on an across-breed comparison. Removal of half stars. Half stars will be removed from all relevant indices, with animals possessing a half star increasing to the next full value. Circulation of reports
ICBF say €uro-Star reports which will include these new indices will be posted to all herds participating in the BDGP from next week.
They are also available to view online at www.icbf.com through the €uro-Star profile section.
Q&A
The Irish Farmers Journal put the most common reader queries received to the ICBF’s Andrew Cromie.
Q. I have checked my bull on the ICBF website and his maternal figures have fallen from a four-star to a three-star index. Does this mean my heifers will also drop in their values?
A. Yes. Given that half of the replacement index for an un-calved heifer is from the sire and the other half from the dam, then one would expect the stars on the progeny of this bull to drop by about half a star.
Q. I have been focusing on using high-reliability bulls and have used APZ quite a bit. His figures have fallen through the floor this year and I have most of my replacement heifers from him. What happens to their values as they were good up until now? Will this affect me meeting the suckler scheme (BDGP)?
A. Indeed, it is only now that his first daughters are completing their first parity, with his latest proof indicating 75% for replacement index reliability. Looking at the performance of these heifers indicates that while they are excellent for age at first calving, they are only average for milk and are extremely poor for maternal calving, cow survival and calving interval.
Indeed, the bull is in the bottom 1% of all AI sires for both maternal calving difficulty and cow survival, with only 75% of his daughters surviving to their second, compared with 91% for his herd mates. In terms of the daughters of this bull, the stars on these animals will fall as well, as they have half of their genes from APZ. By how much they fall will depend on the index of the dams and the performance of the animals themselves.
Q. I have weanlings ready to sell in the next few weeks. Can I sell them, or do I need to wait to see if they need to be tagged? Will my payment be stopped if I do or don’t have information recorded. Can I record this online?
A. There is no need to delay sales. In terms of tagging, there will still be more than enough other animals in the herd to cover off the BDGP genotyping requirement. In terms of relevant information, sire and calving survey data will already have been recorded on these animals. The only other data that the farmer needs to record then is calf docility and calf quality.
Q. Are these the final changes that will be made to the indices? It’s very hard to plan when the heifers I thought I was breeding are now no use for the scheme?
A. This is the last significant change in terms of the construction of the index. However, there will always be changes as more data comes into the equation for individual animals. That said, the new BDGP scheme does allow farmers to plan ahead, as heifers entering the scheme as four or five stars will retain that status, provided that they are genotyped during the course of the scheme.
Q. How many bulls have dropped in value with the change and what is the average drop in star ratings?
A. All bulls have dropped about €60, but this is simply due to a redefinition of how we present the index, which is now expressed in terms of progeny performance/lactation.
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